Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ENABLING GAMING VIA A
MOBILE DEVICE
Field of the Invention
[0001] The present invention relates generally to the field of gaming. In
particular, it
relates to a method and system for enabling gaming via a mobile device.
Background of the Invention
[0002] Gambling, or "gaming", is known. Given the contentious nature of
gaming,
different nations and even states/provinces/regions, all hereinafter referred
to as
jurisdictions, have individually enacted legislation to define what gaming can
occur within
that jurisdiction. In some jurisdictions, betting on the outcomes of sports
matches, among
other things, is allowed, whereas in other jurisdictions, it is prohibited.
Perhaps more critical
is the case wherein various types of gaming are expressly forbidden in certain
jurisdictions
and can bear severe penalties.
[0003] In many cases, jurisdictions control and operate state-run gaming. For
example,
the government of the province of Ontario in Canada has created the Ontario
Lottery and
Gaming Commission to oversee the operation of lotteries and other forms of
gaming. The
sale of lottery tickets, as well as other gaming tickets, is generally
restricted to the
jurisdiction, and the sale of lottery and other gaming tickets from other
jurisdictions can be
prohibited. As lottery tickets are, or have been, printed documents, they have
traditionally
been sold from specific physical locations such as convenience stores and
lottery kiosks.
Such an arrangement facilitates the compliance with jurisdictional rules as
the convenience
stores and lottery kiosks only sell lottery and other gaming tickets for the
particular
jurisdiction(s) in which they are physically located.
[0004] Recently, proposals have been made for the implementation of mobile
lottery
and gaming systems that allow a person to participate in lotteries and other
gaming via a
mobile device. A person who is gaming in one form or another shall be
hereinafter referred
to as a "player". The convergence of mobile devices towards certain platforms
has
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facilitated the development of a few versions of software for mobile devices
that can be
deployed across a large portion of existing mobile devices.
[0005] For example, United States Patent Application Publication No.
2005/0215306
entitled "LOTTERY METHOD AND APPARATUS" to O'Donnell et al. discloses a
method and apparatus for purchasing a lottery ticket using a mobile device.
The mobile
device is in communication with a server-based master game matrix that stores
information
on relevant lottery games and is controlled by a particular lottery authority.
[00061 In keeping with jurisdictional lottery rules, the location of the
mobile device
would need to be validated to ensure that the player is physically located in
the correct
jurisdiction in order to participate in gaming for that jurisdiction.
[0007] United States Patent Application 2007/0321785 entitled "SYSTEM AND
METHOD FOR CONVENIENCE GAMBLING" to Amaitis et al. discloses such a location
verification feature, for mobile gambling, that permits or disallows gaming
from a remote
location depending upon whether or not the location meets one or more
criteria, including
whether the location is within a pre-defmed area in which gaming is permitted
by law. The
location verification includes a feature where the location determination is
carried out
periodically, such that if a user leaves a prescribed area while engaged in a
gambling activity
for a defined period of time, the gambling activity will be stopped.
[0008] United States Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0042633 entitled
"SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR OPERATING ON-LINE GOVERNMENTAL
LOTTERY GAMES" to Yacenda discloses a method for facilitating governmental
lottery
play and includes determining whether a mobile player terminal is located
within a lottery
jurisdiction based on transmitted location information. Once the location is
verified, and
accepted, the purchase of the lottery ticket is completed. If the location
information
indicates that the mobile player terminal is outside of the lottery
jurisdiction, the purchase of
the lottery ticket is prevented. The location information may be acquired
using global
positioning system ("GPS") or cellular telephone localization.
[0009] United States Patent 7,510,474 entitled "LOCATION BASED MOBILE
WAGERING SYSTEM" to Carter, Sr., discloses a system for providing access to
casino
gaming and sports booking which enables a player to place wagers based on the
jurisdiction
of play via a mobile gaming unit. According to one described embodiment, the
mobile
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gaming unit is tracked by a position location system, and may be activated, or
deactivated
according to the local gambling restrictions. Among other features, the
document identifies
a server-based "jurisdiction profile" which may include information relative
to gaming
restrictions, tax rates, and tax exchange agreements for a jurisdiction from
which a gambler
places a bet.
[0010] Such systems, however, are susceptible to tampering and location-
spoofing.
GPS is not a secure system, in that signals are not verified via conventional
GPS units. As a
result, GPS signals can be spoofed, thereby enabling a player to have the GPS
module of his
mobile device believe that it is, in fact, in a different location. In this
manner, a player
would be able to participate in gaming that is prohibited in his location.
[0011] It is an object of the invention to provide a novel method and system
for
enabling gaming via a mobile device.
Summary of the Invention
[0012] In accordance with an aspect of the invention, there is provided a
method for
enabling gaming via a mobile device, comprising:
receiving a request from said mobile device to participate in gaming;
receiving primary location information determined by said mobile device for
the
location of said mobile device;
verifying said primary location information with secondary location
information
for the location of said mobile device determined using a location system
external to said
mobile device; and
enabling said mobile device to participate in a game if said primary location
information is verified and if said mobile device at the location identified
by the primary
location information is eligible for said game.
100131 The primary location information can be determined by the mobile device
using
global positioning system satellite signals. Alternatively, the primary
location information
can be determined by the mobile device using at least one cellular
communications tower
with which the mobile device is in communication.
[0014] The secondary location information can be determined using cellular
communications tower triangulation. Alternatively, the secondary location
information can
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be determined using the identity and location of a cellular communications
tower with
which the mobile device is in communication, or using the location of the
first network node
along a route through which a communication from the mobile device travels for
which the
location is known.
[0015] The verifying of the primary location information can be optionally
performed.
100161 The enabling can be conditional on the age of the user of the mobile
device, or
on the user of the mobile device being free of addiction to gaming.
100171 In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a
system
for enabling gaming via a mobile device, comprising:
at least one server providing access to a game to users in a jurisdiction,
said at
least one server having a first communications interface for receiving a
request for access
to said game from a mobile device, said request including first location
information about
the geolocation of said mobile device, said at least one server verifying said
primary
location information with secondary location information for the location of
the mobile
device determined using a location system external to said mobile device, and
enabling
said mobile device to participate in a game if said primary location
information is verified
and if said mobile device at the location identified by the primary location
information is
eligible for said game.
[0018] The primary location information can be determined by the mobile device
using
global positioning system satellite signals. Alternatively, the primary
location information
can be determined by the mobile device using at least one cellular
communications tower
with which the mobile device is in communication.
[0019] The secondary location information can be determined using cellular
communications tower triangulation. Alternatively, the secondary location
information can
be determined using the identity and location of a cellular communications
tower with
which the mobile device is in communication, or using the location of the
first network node
along a route through which a communication from the mobile device travels for
which the
location is known.
[00201 The verification of the primary location information can be optionally
performed
by the system.
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100211 The at least one server can enable the mobile device to participate in
the game
conditional on the age of a user of the mobile device, or conditional on a
user of the mobile
device being free of addiction to gaming.
[0022] In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, there is provided
a method
for enabling gaming via a mobile device, comprising:
receiving a request from said mobile device to participate in gaming;
receiving primary location information determined by said mobile device for
the
location of said mobile device, if participation in said gaming is restricted
by location;
verifying said primary location information with secondary location
information
for the location of said mobile device determined using a location system
external to said
mobile device, if participation in said gaming is restricted by location; and
restricting said mobile device from participating in a game if said primary
location information is not verified and if participation in said gaming is
restricted by
location.
100231 The method can further include restricting the mobile device from
participating
in the game if a user of the mobile device is below an age limit, or if a user
of the mobile
device is addicted to gaming.
[00241 Other and further advantages and features of the invention will be
apparent to
those skilled in the art from the following detailed description thereof,
taken in conjunction
with the accompanying drawings.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0025] Embodiments will now be described, by way of example only, with
reference to
the attached Figures, wherein:
Figure 1 is a schematic representation of a system for enabling gaming via a
mobile device and its operating environment in accordance with an embodiment
thereof;
Figure 2 is a schematic representation of a mobile device for use with the
system
of Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a schematic representation of a number of components of the system
of Figure 1;
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Figure 4 is a flowchart of the general method of setting up a user to use a
mobile
device with the system;
Figure 5 is a flowchart of the general method of registering to use the system
with a mobile device; and
Figures 6A and 6B illustrate a flowchart of the general method of enabling
gaming via a mobile device used by the system of Figure 1.
Detailed Description of the Embodiments
[0026] The invention relates generally to a method and system for enabling
gaming via
a mobile device. The mobile device determines primary location information
corresponding
to the location of the mobile device, and communicates the primary location
information to
the system. The system can then determine secondary location information for
the location
of the mobile device. The secondary location information is determined using a
geolocation
system external to the mobile device, and is used to verify the primary
location information.
The system then enables the mobile device to participate in a game if the
primary location
information is verified and if the mobile device at the location identified by
the primary
location information is eligible for the game.
100271 By obtaining secondary location information from a geolocation system
external
to the mobile device, the primary location information determined and reported
by the
mobile device can be verified to detect tampering or otherwise inaccurate
geolocation
information.
[0028] A system for enabling gaming via a mobile device in accordance with an
aspect
of the invention is shown at 20 in Figure 1. The system 20 enables
participation in one or
more games via mobile devices, and is coupled to the Internet 24. In the
particular
illustrated example, the system 20 enables the purchase of one or more types
of lottery
tickets for a particular jurisdiction. The system 20 is a single server in
this embodiment, but
can be two or more servers that are either located at a single site or are
distributed, and
cooperatively provide the required functionality as will be described.
[0029] The system 20 is also in communication with an issuing party 28 that
oversees
the operation of the lotteries for which the system 20 sells tickets. The
issuing party 28 can
oversee the sale of some or all of the types of lottery tickets via other
channels, such as their
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printing and sale at convenience stores or the like. As with other types of
games, the sale of
tickets for the lotteries overseen by the issuing party 28 may only be sold in
a particular
jurisdiction.
100301 A number of cellular communication towers 32a, 32b, 32c are also in
communication with the Internet 24 via corresponding Internet Protocol ("IP)
gateways 36a,
36b, 36c respectively. The IP gateways 36 are typically located geographically
proximate to
the corresponding cellular communication towers 32. A mobile device 40 is in
communication with one of the cellular communication towers 32a, and thus,
indirectly with
the system 20 via the IP gateway 36a and the Internet 24.
[0031] In the particular described example, the mobile device 40 is assigned
an internal
address or other identifier by the cellular communication service provider
(also referred to as
a carrier) that operates the cellular communication tower 32a with which the
mobile device
40 is in communication. In order to communicate with the system 20,
communications
from the mobile device 40 are sent to the IP gateway 36a via the cellular
communication
tower 32a. In turn, the IP gateway 36a uses network address translation or
another similar
system to translate the communications and then forwards the communications
from the
mobile device 40 to the system 20 over the Internet 24 via IP version 4, the
standard
addressing system used for identifying devices on the Internet 24. Each
translated
communication from the IP gateway 36a bears the particular IP address of the
IP gateway
36a and a port number that corresponds to the particular application executing
on the mobile
device 40. Communications sent by the system 20 to the lottery application
executing on
the mobile device 40 are sent to the IP address of the IP gateway 36a at the
port identified in
the communication from the IP gateway 36a for the mobile device 40. The IP
gateway 36a,
in turn, translates the address in the communication from the system 20 to
that by which the
mobile device 40 is known internally within the cellular communication service
provider's
network.
[0032] The mobile device 40 is also in receipt of signals from a plurality of
global
positioning system ("GPS") satellites 45A, 45B for purposes of geolocation.
While only
two GPS satellites 44 are shown, it will be understood by those skilled in the
art that the
mobile device 40 will likely be in receipt of the signals from many GPS
satellites 44.
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[0033] The system 20 also is in communication with an IP geolocation database
48.
The IP geolocation database that stores known geolocations for certain IP
addresses.
[00341 Referring to Figure 2, a number of components of the mobile device 40
are
shown. As illustrated, in this embodiment, the mobile device 40 is a typical
mobile phone
having basic functions. The mobile device 40 has an input interface 60 for
receiving input
from a user, and a display 64 is provided for presenting information visually
to the user.
The mobile device 40 also includes memory 68 for storing an operating system
that controls
the main functionality of the mobile device 40, along with a number of
applications that are
run on the mobile device 40, and data. A processor 72 executes the operating
system and
applications. A subscriber identification module ("SIM") card 76 provides
additional
memory for storing applications and data, and has a microprocessor for
executing them.
Additionally, the SIM card 76 has a unique hardware identification code that
permits
identification of the mobile device 40. When installed, the SIM card 76 forms
part of the
mobile device 40. A GPS unit 80 operates to receive signals from GPS
satellites 44 to
determine the geolocation of the mobile device 40. Other types of mobile
devices can have
encrypted device memory in place of the SIM card 76, which offers the
equivalent
functionality. A communications interface 80 permits communications with a
cellular
network for voice and data.
[0035] Figure 3 shows a number of logical components of the system 20. The
system
20 includes a first communications interface 84 for communicating over the
Internet 24 with
the mobile device 40. A processor 88 executes various programs to provide the
functionality required as described herein. Non-volatile memory 92 stores the
various
programs, and random access memory 96 enables the processor 88 to temporarily
store data
and programs during their execution.
[0036] Figure 4 shows the method of setting up a user to use a mobile device
40 with
the system 20 generally at 100. In order for a user to use the system 20 via
his mobile
device 40 to participate in gaming (to purchase lottery tickets, in this
embodiment), the user
registers with the system 20 (step 110).
[0037] Figure 5 illustrates the method of registering a user with the system
20 in greater
detail. In particular, the user visits a web page served by a web-serving
component of the
system 20 that allows the user to enter in various personal and payment
details. First, the
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user is asked to select a unique login name and a password (step 111). The
user is then
prompted to enter his name, his address, his birth date or age, his gender and
his citizenship
(step 112). This information is then used by the system 20 to validate the
user's eligibility
to use the system 20 (step 113).
[0038] The system 20 validates the information provided using various data
match
sources and then using rules for determining the user's eligibility for games
operated in that
user's residential jurisdiction or the jurisdiction in which the user is
presently located. Some
jurisdictions limit game participation to people who satisfy a minimum age and
who are, at
that time, located in the jurisdiction. For example, Atlantic Lottery Corp.
stipulates that
anyone playing any of their lottery games is required to be within their
provinces at the time
of purchase as well be of age. The Ontario Lottery Gaming Commission ("OLGC")
stipulates that only residents of Ontario who satisfy a minimum age are able
to purchase a
lottery ticket. Therefore, it is permissible for a resident of Ontario sitting
in his winter home
in Florida can buy an OLGC-licenced lottery ticket, but not for a resident of
Newfoundland.
Likewise, an Ontario resident located in an Atlantic province could buy both
OLGC-
licenced lottery tickets and Atlantic Lottery Corp.-licenced lottery tickets
as they satisfy the
requirements for both lottery regulators. To complicate matters, some
jurisdictions apply
different rules for different games.
[0039] Further, some lottery regulators maintain a "no play" list that
identify individuals
that are known to have a gambling addiction. The system 20 checks the user's
name against
the appropriate "no play" lists before deeming the user eligible to play. In
addition, some
lottery regulators can stipulate that the amount spent by a player is to be
limited.
[0040] Once the user is validated to play one or more games, the user is asked
to credit
an account against which purchases are debited (step 114). The user selects
from one of a
variety of payment methods to credit his account. When the user purchases
lottery tickets in
the future through the system 20, this account is debited.
[0041] The information provided by the user is stored in a user database by
the system
20.
[0042] Referring again to Figure 4, once the user has registered with the
system 20, the
user then enters the telephone number of the mobile device 40 which he wishes
to use with
the system 20 (step 120). The user is prompted for the telephone number of the
mobile
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device 40 via another web page served by the system 20. The system 20 then
transmits a
short message service ("SMS") message to the mobile device 40 (via the
telephone number
provided by the user at step 120) that includes a link to download a gaming
application (in
this case, a lottery application) (step 130). The link includes an
identification of that user.
The user then activates the link to download and install the lottery
application on the mobile
device 40 (step 140). The lottery application is installed in the memory 68 of
the mobile
device 40. When the lottery application is first started by the user, he is
asked to enter his
login name and password (step 150). The lottery application presents the user
the option of
saving his login name and password. The user is then presented with and
accepts an end-
user license agreement ("EULA") (step 160). The EULA includes a provision to
permit the
system 20 and/or associated parties to obtain information for the purpose of
verifying the
jurisdiction in which the user is in during operation of the lottery
application. Declination of
the EULA returns the lottery application to an "unstarted" state, thereby
allowing the user to
accept the EULA upon a subsequent execution of the lottery application. If,
after three tries,
the user has failed to acknowledge acceptance of the EULA, the lottery
application
uninstalls itself from the mobile device 40. A similar EULA is presented to
the user when
the user registers with the system at step 110. Additionally, changes to the
EULA are
presented to the user as they become available.
[0043] Once the lottery application is installed on the mobile device 40 and
the EULA
has been accepted, the lottery application presents a list of preferences for
the user to
confirm or change (step 170). The preferences include whether the user wishes
to receive
lottery notifications in general, whether audible prompts are to be played
when the jackpot is
above a user-set level, how often to update a lottery's icon within the
lottery application for
the jackpot size as the jackpot grows, whether the user wishes to receive
notices of lottery
results, etc. In addition, the user can select the types of games that he
prefers, such as
lottery, scratch off, multi-player, sports betting, etc.
[0044] The lottery application running on the user's mobile device 40 then,
using the
user's information, location and preferences, downloads games from the system
20 (step
180). The games for which the user is eligible and match his preferences are
then presented
to the user on-screen when the application is opened.
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[0045) The lottery application permits the user to view the various types of
lottery
tickets available from the system 20 and various details about the lottery
jackpots, purchase
tickets that he is eligible to purchase, track lottery tickets purchased and
receive or process
winnings.
[0046) Figures 6A and 6B illustrate a flowchart of the general method of
enabling
gaming via a mobile device. The method commences with the user starting the
lottery
application on the mobile device 40 (step 210). During startup of the lottery
application, the
user is prompted for his login name and password. In addition, the lottery
application
generates a number of quantum random number generator requests for lottery
operators
corresponding with games presently downloaded onto the mobile device 40. These
random
numbers are used if the user would like the numbers for a lottery ticket to be
randomly
selected. The lottery application requests GPS coordinates (i.e., the
geolocation) from the
mobile device (step 220). In particular, the lottery application makes a
request to the
operating system of the mobile device 40 to provide the GPS coordinates. The
GPS unit 80
receives GPS signals from the GPS satellites 44 and determines the GPS
coordinates of the
mobile device 40 using signals from GPS satellites 44. The GPS coordinates are
reported to
the operating system of the mobile device 40 by the GPS unit 80. The operating
system
then responds to the lottery application with the same GPS coordinates. The
GPS
coordinates serve as primary location information for the mobile device 40.
[0047] Once the lottery application has received the GPS coordinates from the
operating
system of the mobile device 40, it sends them, along with the login name and
password
entered by the user, to the system 20 (step 230). The transmission is sent via
the cellular
communications tower 32a to the IP gateway 36a. The IP gateway 36a translates
the request
from the mobile device 40 to replace the address of the mobile device 40 with
the IP address
of the IP gateway 36a, and then forwards the request to the system 20.
[0048] The system 20 then performs a traceroute on the apparent IP address of
the
mobile device 40 (step 240). A traceroute is a network tool used to determine
the route
taken by packets (i.e., data) across an IP-based network, such as the Internet
24. As the IP
gateway 36a has replaced the address of the mobile device 40 internal to the
cellular
communications service provider's network with its own IP address as used for
the Internet
24, the system 20 in fact performs a traceroute on the IP gateway 36a in this
case. The
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traceroute provides a list of the intermediate nodes/switches through which
packets to the IP
address of the IP gateway 36a are being routed.
[0049] The system 20 then performs a lookup of the geolocation of the mobile
device
40 or close network nodes as identified in the traceroute (step 250). The
system 20 has
access to the IP localization database 48 that stores IP addresses and known
geolocations.
As will be understood by those skilled in the art, some IP addresses are
dynamic, in that they
are assigned by network management systems to devices as needed, and others
are "less
temporary", in that they are generally assigned permanently to a switch or
other network
device but can be re-assigned in the future. The IP localization database can
be maintained
by the system 20 or by a trusted third party and includes the known
geolocations for the
relatively static IP addresses. The traceroute is used in conjunction with the
IP localization
database 4813 to determine the closest IP address (or hop or network node) for
which a
geolocation is known, and its geolocation. This geolocation is used as
secondary location
information by the system 20.
[0050] The system 20 then compares the primary location information with the
secondary location information to verify the geolocation of the mobile device
40 (step 260).
More specifically, the geolocation in the primary location information is
compared to the
geolocation in the secondary location information to determine if the distance
between them
is within a desired range. If the distance between the geolocations in the
primary and
secondary location information is greater than a threshold, the system 20
determines that the
primary location information is unverified and sends a communication to the
application on
the mobile device 40 to disable participation (step 270).
[0051] If, instead, the system 20 determines that the primary location
information is
verified by the secondary location information, the system 20 determines if
the jurisdiction
corresponding to the primary location information is appropriate for one or
more lotteries
available through the system 20 (step 280). If the primary location
information indicates
that the mobile device 40 is in a jurisdiction for which the system 20 does
not offer lotteries,
the system 20 directs the lottery application executing on the mobile device
40 to disable
participation at step 270.
[0052] If the primary location information indicates that the mobile device 40
is in a
jurisdiction for which the system 20 offers lotteries, the system 20 notifies
the application on
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the mobile device 40 that the jurisdiction is verified (step 290). The
application executing
on the mobile device 40 then checks with the system 20 for updated lotteries
matching the
user's information, preferences and location, and downloads any found (step
300). The user
is first prompted if he would like to update the games available via the
lottery application,
and, upon acceptance, the additional games are downloaded. If any of the new
games
downloaded has conditions that are not covered by the standard EULA, an
additional EULA
is presented to the user by the lottery application at this time.
[0053] The lottery application enables the user to select a lottery, pick
numbers (if
applicable) and then purchase the ticket. In order to generate a purchase
request for the
ticket, the user is prompted to enter in his password again.
[0054] Upon receiving a purchase request for a lottery ticket on the mobile
device 40,
the application forwards the request to the system 20, together with the GPS
coordinates
(step 310). The system 20 then determines if a further jurisdiction check is
required (step
320). For some games/lotteries for which location is not a criteria, a further
check is not
required. For other games/lotteries, the initial location check performed by
the mobile
device may be sufficient. In these cases, the method proceeds to step 360,
described below.
For games/lotteries that have location restrictions, if sufficient time has
passed since the last
check for the mobile device 40 or if the geolocation of the mobile device 40,
as evidenced
by the GPS coordinates sent by the mobile device 40, has changed by a
threshold, the
system 20 determines that another jurisdiction check is required at step 320,
and the system
20 performs another traceroute to the apparent IP address of the mobile device
40 (step 330).
The system 20 then uses the information in the same manner as in step 260 to
verify the
geolocation of the mobile device 40 (step 340). If the secondary location
information
generated at step 330 does not match the primary location information (i.e.,
the GPS
coordinates) received at step 310, the system 20 declines the transaction and
notifies the
lottery application on the mobile device 40 (step 350). If, instead, the
secondary location
information validates the primary location information, the system 20
determines the
jurisdiction of the primary location information (if required for the
particular lottery/game)
and determines whether the user is eligible to purchase the particular lottery
ticket being
requested (step 360). In particular, the system 20 determines if the user
matches all the
particular criteria for the selected lottery, which may include age, location,
residency and if
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the user is not on the "no play" list. If the user is not eligible to purchase
the lotter ticket,
then the system 20 declines the transaction and notifies the lottery
application at step 350.
If, instead, the user is eligible to purchase the lottery ticket, then the
system 20 completes the
purchase transaction, debits the user's account and sends the lottery
application confirmation
of the sale (step 370). The system 20 also sends the lottery application a two-
dimensional
bar code.
[0055] Once the results of a lottery played by the user are available to the
system 20, it
determines the results for the user and forwards them to the user's mobile
device 40. Based
on the preferences set out by the user, the mobile device 40 may present a
visual and/or
audio notification.
[0056] In another embodiment, the lottery application executing on the mobile
device
40 has two modes of operation. In a "live" mode, the lottery application
functions as
described in the previous embodiment. In a "demo" mode, the lottery
application enables
users to simulate the purchasing of lottery tickets and receive notifications
of what they
would have won if they had been operating in "live" mode. In "demo" mode, the
user is not
limited to playing only lotteries for which he is eligible.
[0057] In a further embodiment, the user can install the lottery application
on the mobile
device prior to registering with the system 20. Upon executing the lottery
application for the
first time, the user is asked for much of the same information as he is asked
for in the first
embodiment, except that he need not enter in his mobile device telephone
number, as the
lottery application is already installed on the mobile device.
[0058] While, in the above-described embodiments, the primary location
information is
derived by the mobile device using GPS, those skilled in the art will
understand that other
methods can be used by the mobile device to determine its location. One such
method
employs the use of wireless mobile location data to determine the general
geolocation of the
mobile device. Wireless mobile location data is provided by the cellular
communications
tower with which the mobile device is in communication and identify the
particular tower
using a unique identifier. The location of each cellular communications tower
is known, as
well as the general area that they cover. If the mobile device is in
communication with a
particular cellular communications tower, the mobile device is assumed to be
within the area
covered by the cellular communications tower. This area of coverage associated
with the
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cellular communications tower with which the mobile device is communicating
can act as
the primary location information.
[0059] While in the embodiments described above, the known location of
relatively
permanent network nodes is used to verify the primary location information,
those skilled in
the art will appreciate that other types of location systems can be employed.
[0060] In a particular embodiment, cellular communications tower triangulation
is
employed to identify the geolocation of the mobile device. Mobile devices are
constantly
being tracked by cellular communications towers to determine a user's general
location in
order to pair that mobile device with a particular cellular communications
tower for further
communications. This is accomplished by determining the relative signal
strength of the
signal received by three particular cellular communications towers and then
triangulating the
position as a weighted average distance from each tower. This provides a
relatively crude
location, but can be sufficient to determine a user's general location, and
thus verify the
primary location information provided by the mobile device.
[0061] In this embodiment, it may be preferable to have the cellular
communications
service providers operate the system as the cellular communications service
providers are
reluctant to provide information regarding the location of subscribers.
Alternatively, the
user, upon registration, can consent to the use of triangulation data by the
cellular
communications service provider to confirm his location, thus enabling the
cellular
communications service provider the ability to confirm the location of the
user/mobile
device. The cellular communications service provider can alternatively be
asked to confirm
the jurisdiction of the mobile device as determined from the primary location
information
reported by the mobile device to the system. In this way, the cellular
communications
provider is only confirming or not confirming the jurisdiction in which the
mobile device is
located based on the primary location information.
[0062] The system can be used to enable other types of gaming such as online
casinos
and betting.
[0063] While the mobile device was described in the above embodiments as
having
cellular communications capabilities, those skilled in the art will appreciate
that other types
of mobile devices will work. For example, a GPS-enabled mobile device can
communicate
with the system via a wireless protocol such as WiFi or the like, with a
traceroute being
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CA 02683026 2009-10-20
performed by the system to approximate the location of the mobile device by
identifying the
network node with a known location that is closest to the mobile device along
the traced
network routing path and using its known location as the estimate for the
location of the
mobile device.
[0064] In some scenarios, the verification of the primary location information
with
secondary location information can be optional, depending on the
circumstances. For
example, if a user is a trusted registered user, the verification may not be
necessary each
time.
[0065) Tracking and verification of the geolocation of the mobile device can
occur with
various frequency or at various times.
[0066) The location verification may alternatively be performed only when the
application is started up or when a purchase is requested.
[0067) The above-described embodiments are intended to be examples of the
present
invention and alterations and modifications may be effected thereto, by those
of skill in the
art, without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined solely
by the claims
appended hereto.
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